Overhead bridge— Mobile City
Directed and Narrated by Lai Fai 3035989279
Description of the theme and subject matter:
The theme is the unquenchable, unforgiving, and unstoppable mobility in the overhead bridge of a mobile city. The subject matter is the overhead bridge. Overhead bridges play a significant role in Hong Kong. According to Highways Department (2022), there are over 1,043 overhead pedestrian bridges in Hong Kong. Many overhead bridges exist in the daily life of local citizens.
The video is divided into three parts, unquenchable mobility, unforgiving mobility, and unstoppable mobility.
Unquenchable mobility shows individuals’ pursuit of moving to high-altitude space through overhead bridges. Physically, overhead bridges provide a safe and efficient walkway to cross over the road. Mentally, they are an ideal of transportation. Leung (2013) points out that the idea of the architectural image of the overhead bridge originally came from Metropolis (1927), which was directed by Fritz Lang and enabled individuals to believe that the overhead bridge will be a giant architecture that enhances city mobility. Hence, overhead bridges in Hong Kong reflect the local citizens’ pursuit of heights, corresponding to Hong Kong’s urban strategy of vertical development due to land issues.
Unforgiving mobility emphasizes speed and the fragile relationship between pedestrians on overhead bridges. Chan (2011) argues that the narrow passage of overhead bridges reduces the interaction between individuals on the ground, making them indifferent to each other. In other words, the limited space of overhead bridges prevents pedestrians from stopping to interact but keep moving forward at a fast speed.
Unstoppable mobility explains the rapid expansion of overhead bridge networks in Hong Kong society. Ho (2021) claims that although the development of overhead bridge networks has brought convenience to citizens, it has also gradually become their only passage. This foresees that overhead bridges will become the new “ground”, and the ground below will give way to transportation.
Method of conducting the research:
To focus on the theme discussion in two and a half minutes, I only filmed one overhead bridge to illustrate my content. Furthermore, I chose the Central Elevated Walkway because it is the most significant overhead bridge network system for pedestrians and is located in the central business district of Hong Kong, and hence can represent the most realistic daily routine of Hong Kong workers. Central Elevated Walkway’s design provides a visual experience (Docomomo, 2023). Also, it inspired other cities to plan overhead bridge networks for future urban development (Ho, 2015). Hence, I went there to conduct fieldwork for three days in order to observe pedestrians on the overhead bridges, the surrounding transportation environment, and the filming locations. For example, it was memorable for me to walk up the International Finance Centre roof garden to observe the Central overhead bridge network in a bird’s eye view, getting more insight into the overhead bridge.
Producing the video:
In the “Unquenchable mobility” part, low-angle shots are used throughout to emphasize the overhead bridge’s height and pedestrians’ unquenchable mobility to step onto it. A montage is used in this part, in which I stand under the branch of the overhead bridge, branches like a pair of wings that lead me to fly high. It makes me remember Icarus in Greek mythology. He longed for the sky and flew upwards with fabricated wings. The fabricated wings signified branches of the overhead bridge, and Icarus signified the pedestrian. Pedestrians and Icarus are both in pursuit of heights.
In the “Unforgiving mobility” part, eye-level shots are used throughout to enable the audience to feel the speed of pedestrians on the overhead bridge and fragile relationships with others passing by. Time-lapse and slow-motion are used in this part. Time-lapse emphasizes the speed of pedestrians’ mobility, and slow-motion highlights the details when moving between pedestrians.
In the “Unstoppable mobility” part, high-angle shots are used throughout to demonstrate the entire network of overhead bridges and the differences between overhead bridges and ground spaces, such as the density of individuals and the flow of vehicles. A montage is used in this part, in which the overhead bridge network is like a spider web. The pedestrians signified the spider, and the overhead bridge network signified the spider web. This does not only mean that the spider is able to move freely on the spider web but also over-rely on the spider web and is limited in space.
In the video music, the sound of a green light is used to symbolize the unobstructed flow of the overhead bridge. Background music “Fly Me to the Moon” represents society’s longing for space in the 1960s, echoing individuals’ yearning for overhead bridges.
Reflections:
Overhead bridges are convenient to individuals, connecting places with dedicated and safe spaces separated from the pavement. While gaining benefits, the space of overhead bridges also makes individuals indifferent, and over-reliance on overhead bridges makes the route become single in this mobile city.
References
Chan, Y., H. (2011). Sad City Besieged in Pipes. Lingnan University. https://www.ln.edu.hk/mcsln/archive/23th_issue/feature_02.shtml
Chem. (2019). Evangelion — Fly Me To The Moon [instrumental original version]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/oIG2ZavqP4Q
Docomomo. (2023). Pedestrian bridge system. docomomo. https://docomomo.hk/zh/project/pedestrian-footbridge-central/
Highways Department. (2022). Footbridges and Subways of Hong Kong. Highways Department. https://www.hyd.gov.hk/en/information_corner/hyd_factsheets/doc/e_Footbridges_and_Subways.pdf
Ho, A. (2015). Central District Pedestrian Bridge System. History and Discourse of Shopping Arcades in Hong Kong. https://m.facebook.com/ShoppingMalls.hk/photos/a.347215122031797/824990420920929/?type=3&mibextid=0cALme
Ho, S., H. (2021). Sonorous Collection: Walking on the Flyover. RTHK Radio Hong Kong. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we0HWNtPYfs
Laurentius Joannes Vong. (2019). Hong Kong Pedestrian Traffic Light. YouTube. https://youtu.be/f9S50dytDR4
Leung, E. (2013). Pedestrian Footbridge System, Central. docomomo. https://docomomo.hk/pedestrian-footbridge-system-central/
Robson, D. (2020). Spiders think with their webs, challenging our ideas of intelligence. NewScientist. https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24532680-900-spiders-think-with-their-webs-challenging-our-ideas-of-intelligence/
Sunflower seeds. (2021). [Greek Mythology – The Story of Icarus] The great flying dream of human beings spread their wings, but fell because of chasing the sun. Sonia Chang. https://showthinker.com/%E4%BC%8A%E5%8D%A1%E6%B4%9B%E6%96%AF%E7%9A%84%E6%95%85%E4%BA%8B/
-Lai Fai 3035989279
Good work! Your video and your text are well-structured, analyzing the importance of bridge network towards the efficiency, convenience and everyday living of the city or its negative impacts contributing to social indifference. I also appreciate your attempt to comment on the ideas of mobility and the role of bridges in urban development. It is also good to hear your vision and expectation on the future development of bridges towards urban lifestyles.